130 SERRICORNIA. | Lampyris. 
species occur in Europe, of which one is found in Britain ; it is perhaps 
the best known and most generally observed of all our Coleoptera, and 
has been mentioned in song and story from the earliest ages of our 
literature. A full account of the life-history of the insect is given by 
Westwood (Classification, i. p. 250); the eggs are large, and are de- 
posited by the female on moss or grass; the larva much resembles the 
perfect female in general appearance, being long, narrow, and flat, with 
short legs; the prothoracic segment is semicireular and narrowed in 
front, completely covering the head, which is retractile ; the last abdo- 
minal segment is narrower than the rest ; the colour of the larva is black, 
with a pale spot at the hinder angles of each segment ; the mandibles 
are strong, and suited to a carnivorous diet, and it appears to be the 
fact that it feeds chiefly on small molluses, and to be very probable that 
it is from this source that it derives its phosphorescent power; the pupa 
much resembles the larva; in the female it is quite apterous, whereas 
in the male it exhibits the rudiments of the elytra and wings; a very 
short time is passed by the insect in the pupal state. 
ZL. noctiluca, L. Male with ample elytra and wings, elongate, 
depressed, parallel-sided, clothed with short grey pubescence, of a 
greyish-fuscous colour, with the sides of thorax, and sometimes of 
elytra, lighter ; apex of abdomen and breast of a dirty-yellowish colour ; 
head concealed by thorax, antenne short and stout, fuscous; thorax 
semicircular, about as broad as long, uneven, finely granulate, with a 
more or less distinct central furrow ; elytra elongate, widened behind 
middle, dehiscent at apex, rugosely sculptured, with distinct traces of 
raised lines, which are stronger towards base; legs rather short, fuscous; 
last dorsal segment of abdomen rounded at sides, sinuate on both sides 
at apex and obtusely acuminate in the middle. L. 10-12 mm. 
Female larviform, without elytra or wings, fuscous brown, with 
margins of thoracic and of the other dorsal segments, and more or less 
of the breast and ventral segments, obscurely yellowish ; the last three 
segments are entirely yellowish beneath; the mesothorax is small and 
rounded behind, but the other segments do not differ much, except the 
last, which is narrow and rounded behind; the segments from the 
second to the penultimate are narrowed in front, and have the posterior 
angles blunt but marked, so that the sides of the body appear serrate ; 
antenne and legs fuscous or fusco-testaceous ; the last ventral segment 
of the abdomen is triangularly emarginate; the thoracic segments have 
an obsolete central furrow, and the abdominal segments are furnished 
with a more or less distinct raised longitudinal keel; the general 
sculpture is finely rugose. L, 12-16 mm. 
On heaths, grassy and mossy banks, &e.; the male often flies to light ; somewhat 
local, but generally distributed over the greater part of Englaad; it appears, how- 
ever, to be commoner in the southern and south-western counties, and, according 
to my experience, is very local in some parts of the Midlan‘s, although Mr, Blatch has 
